Just a bad night
by Momudita
Summary: One-shot. Contemplating his life on a particularly bad night he hadn't expected to run into someone who's luck proved to be even worse than his own. But what will Starscream do when he finds a wounded autobot SIC literary at his mercy?


A/N Shifting through some older file's on my computer I was quite surprised to find a half finished story just laying around, gathering virtual dust. Reading through it I thought it a shame to leave it unfinished so I dusted it off, editted some parts, wrote the end and finally posted it here. Funny how things go, isn't it?

As warning I'd say it's slightly dark. Other than that I can't think of anything you need to know yet. So, enjoy reading and let me know what you think.

* * *

It was silent. Even on Cybertron, at this time of night hardly anyone walked the streets. Once or twice a shadow passed, other than that not even a garbage drone could be found.

One, even with night vision, could hardly see the figure sitting on the ground. The usually bright paintjob was hardly visible against the with paint stained background. Curled up against the wall, the bot was easily mistaken for a garbage bin. But he didn't care. No one dare come to these parts of town at night, if at all. He was sure not to be disturbed. Just like he wanted.

For cycles the mech didn't move. Just sat there, disappearing in the darkness. It was becoming a regular sight now, every few megacycle's the same mech sat there, sometimes for the entire rest cycle. On occasion he could fall into recharge but every time he left again, only to return cycles later.

But today, things weren't as normal. His normally proud paintjob was almost completely gone, along with more of his plating then a medic would allow. Parts were battered, twisted or completely torn off. Even most of the metal plating of his face was completely gone, one optic dimmer then the other. If it wasn't for 2 his red-burning optics, one would think he was in stasis.

It had been a fight. Nothing out of the ordinary at the base, but it had been worse than usual. One he couldn't escape, as he had been the target. He wasn't even sure what caused it. He had outsmarted them probably, pissed them off at the meeting or just annoyed them. No, he could come up with enough reasons for it. He just didn't know who. They had attacked from the back, disabling his main functions in one single blow. He had been defenseless while they had beaten him up. It had been low, even by decepticon standards, but then again… did they even have standards?

He had run, cowardly transformed and had flown away, he had had no choice. He couldn't move a servo, let alone fight back. But it felt horrible, like his already low self confidence had just been torn away completely. It had been his pride… or his life. But right now, he wished it had been his life.

He slowly rested his head on his knees. It hurt, but not too badly. Had he really sunk so low as to wish he was dead? No, after a good recharge and a visit to the medic, he would be fine again. He knew he would. But right now, his spark felt otherwise.

He didn't have it to bad in life. He was smart, really smart, and he had a good processor as well. He was a flier, one of a limited number, and not too bad with a weapon either. His looks were good, his paintjob was one to leave an impression and he held a high position in the decepticon army. What had he to complain about? It was almost too good to be true! But as he learned the hard way, when something looks too good to be true… It usually is.

He simply wasn't made to be a warrior. He wasn't made to fight. That was his biggest problem. He wasn't a pacifist, he would never be, but he just wasn't made for battle. He was simply too smart to be a foot-soldier. He bluntly refused to take missions he knew would end badly or were too dangerous to be called anything else but suicide. The others refused to see it his way though, and often called him a coward. Though he'd rather be called a coward then a dead mech.

But when he did fight, he was ruthless. There was a reason Megatron kept him close, and not just to keep an eye on him. He could fight like any other decepticon, take out enemies without mercy. But he didn't just fight for the fighting like most. He did to survive.

At first though, it had all gone well. He was new, others were new, and nobody even looked at him when it wasn't necessary. But that all changed when Megatron promoted him. Suddenly all eyes were on him, and even though he could handle it, he couldn't prevent what came after.

All decepticons turned hateful. Instead of admiring him, they laughed. Complements soon turned to insults. To handle it he acted like he didn't care. He had created an image of a sarcastic, treacherous back-stabber. And even though he hated it with his entire spark, he couldn't change it. For if they ever found out his true self, it would be his death.

Once, when he was even more depressed then now, he had seriously considered turning autobot. But he had laughed at himself for even thinking about it. They would see him coming… he had killed too many of them to be welcomed in their ranks anyway. No, he was no autobot, and would never be. It wasn't him either.

So what _was_ he? If he wasn't fit for the decepticons, nor fit to be an autobot, what was he? Neutral? No, as a neutral you were even worse off than without a side. Decepticons wouldn't care if someone was neutral or not, they would simply kill all that was not one of them. Some even went hunting for them, simply to kill time. No he valued his life to much for that, thank you.

But why stay? If he wasn't a true decepticon, why wouldn't he just leave? He had puzzled for a long time on that very question, and found out he always came up with the same answer;

Megatron.

It wasn't that he feared him, nor was he forced to stay. No matter how many of the others would contradict, he stayed out of respect. And surprisingly enough, loyalty. He had found himself loyal to Megatron even when he had almost died by the mech's very own hand. It had surprised him at first, even more than it would the others. But after he thought about it, it made more sense than he actually thought possible.

Out of all mech he had met in his life, Megatron was the only one not out to either gain his favor or make fun of him. The vast rain of insults and threats were not personal, everyone received them, his remarks were made not to write him down but to correct mistakes and praise, as rare as they were, were meant. Megatron treated him like any mech, like a person. Something he had been seeking his entire life. To be treated like any other. And surprisingly enough, he found it in the most unexpected place of all.

A soft sound made him blink and look around in confusion. He had been so caught up in his thoughts he had completely forgotten where he was. The alley seemed exactly the same as before, but his finger seemed to give off some light somehow. Curiously he looked closer, only to find out it was energon. For a moment he only stared at it like he had never seen it before.

Another drip. He blinked again. Another drop of energon had fallen on his hand. He narrowed his optics and looked up. Energon doesn't just fall out of the sky!

A shadow above. Out of pure instincts, he charged his cannon and jumped behind the corner. The mech must have been severely wounded to be leaking energon as not even he was leaking any, so it wouldn't be much of an opponent. Not that he really cared though, as he activated his thrusters. He could use some distraction, even if it was just to find out _who_ exactly was leaking on his already ruined paintjob. Not to mention interrupt his sulking.

In mere seconds, he flew out of the alley over the roof. He landed as gracefully as possible at the feet of the mech, aiming his cannon at point blank. He had to smirk at the face the mech made… until he realized who it was.

Before him lay Prowl, autobot second in command, tactician and law enforcer. He was in even worse shape than he was, completely missing his left arm and his legs didn't look like he could walk. Looking at the wounds, he realized Prowl had been running from one of the decepticon scouts. Figures that they would lose someone as important as Prowl. He looked at the mechs face, there was a look of surprise mixed with sheer horror as Prowl looked stared at him in fear.

"S-Starscream!"

He smirked. It was nice to know at least someone had some respect for him. "Tsk. Who else?" Starscream looked over Prowls injuries a bit more closely. "So, who have you been running from? Breakdown?"

"How did you…?"

"Guess? Not that hard. Only he plays with his toys like this before he is stupid enough to let them escape." While he said that, he pointed at the mech's missing arm as to prove his point. "Stupid moron doesn't know the difference between his head and his tailpipe."

Prowl blinked at Starscream's words. He was known to be vocal, but not to actually _talk_.

"So, did you just end up here by chance, or were you on a mission?" Starscream asked. Why did he ask? It was not like he really cared anyway. He would kill the mech in a few clicks, why bother?

"Excuse me?" Prowl said remarkably clear for his shocked state.

"What, your logic-chip not the only thing shorting out every time? I asked how you ended up here. Since you're about to die you might as well tell me what it was you were doing."

Prowl only stared at him without a single word. But didn't look at his face he realized, he looked at his injuries.

Starscream snorted. Typically autobot to worry about an enemy, especially one that had a gun pointed at your head. Another reason he would never fit in with them. He cared for himself first and foremost. "What? Wondering how I ended up like this?"

Prowl's face showed he had hit the mech's thoughts dead on.

"Since I'm in a talkative mood I'll tell you." Starscream lowered his cannon for a moment, pointing at his wounds. "_This_ is what happens when decepticons attacks you in the back and the fraggers kept hitting me until I transformed and ran away like a coward."

"One of your own attacked you!" Prowl's voice was filled with disgust as he spoke. His whole being radiated his appellation.

Starscream laughed coldly. "We decepticons aren't like you, all goody goody and playing nicely with each other. No, we don't care about others like you autobots do."

"Not all of us autobots do either."

Starscream paused and blinked at what Prowl had just admitted. "What?"

"Not all autobots care about the rest as much as you think they do." Prowl looked at him with a sadness in his eyes that made him want to purge his tanks. "Or I would not be here, damaged and about to face my maker."

Now that was shocking. Autobots killing their own. Starscream completely forgot to aim his cannon at the mech as he stared at the autobot SIC. "What happened?" It was out before he even knew it and while he cursed himself for it he found himself feeling almost sorry for the mech. He knew all too well what it felt like to be betrayed as a decepticon, but as an autobot it was something almost unthinkable.

"It was a set-up. Or maybe just a prank gone bad, who knows?" Prowl looked at the ground while he said it, clearly deep in thought. "All I know is that I was supposed to pick up something in the outer parts of Xion. I arrived at the location at the appointed time, but instead of finding what I came for I found myself optic to optic with Breakdown." Prowl let out a sad chuckle. "I don't have to tell you what came after."

"You didn't stand a chance." Starscream filled in when the other fell silent. "But instead of killing you, Breakdown let you run. He chased you for cycles in that state until you lost him somewhere."

The autobot SIC simply nodded as he closed his optics with a sigh. "I've been here ever since, trying to contact the base without any luck. First thing Breakdown disabled was my radio."

Starscream let out a snort. That sounded like Breakdown alright.

"Then finally you showed up." Prowl finished his tale. Grasping what was left of his missing arm he sighed. "And now I'm just praying you have enough mercy to make it quick."

Well look at that. Two second in command's betrayed by their own, the one even more damaged than the other. It almost seemed to be a curse of the position to be hated, despised and eventually killed. Starscream couldn't help but see the irony of the situation as he looked at Prowl's wounds. "Was that your last request?" He said as he aimed his cannon at the mech once more.

"You take last requests?" Prowl looked at him in surprise before his optics dimmed slightly. "Then I guess it is."

A silence. Prowl by the looks of it was contemplating his life. He didn't really care. Right now, Starscream was deciding whether or not to heed the autobot SIC's request. A grin spread across his face as he stepped closer to the mech.

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

The look of fear on the others face was so priceless he couldn't help but laugh at it. It disappeared soon however, much to his regret. He could only imagine the emotions running through Prowl at the moment. Fear for him, what he would do to him in the last few moments of his life, guilt for all the things left undone, anger as he asked himself how he could be foolish enough to believe _he_ would have any mercy on him… maybe even resentment for the ones responsible for him being here. Starscream didn't care.

The grin on his face widened as he activated his radio with the receiver on speaker.

"-_Starscream, to what do we owe this displeasure?_-" the voice of the autobot thundered loudly through the silence of the night. Prowl looked at him in complete shock while he laughed coldly.

"I have something to hear for the pathetic excuse you call a leader."

"-_And why would Optimus be interested in anything you have to say?_-" the voice was filled with disgust and fear, much to his amusement.

"Because I have one of his precious mech's lying at my feet here."

"-_What, and you expect me to believe that!_-"

"Actually yes." Starscream smirked. "But if you need some proof I'm sure he will provide some." He looked at the mech expectantly but Prowl didn't make a sound. Starscream sighed and kicked one of the autobot's legs, who let out a cry of pain.

On the other side of the transmission there were several shocked gasps. "-_P-Prowl!_-"

"I'm glad you recognize him. Now I suggest you summon that pathetic leader of you before I lose my patience and cut the connection."

A silence. "-_One moment._-"

He grinned again when another voice came through the line.

"-_Starscream._-"

"Ah, Optimus Prime. What a displeasure speaking with you." His voice was cold, very cold. "I have your second in command one shot away of being painfully deactivated, but much more since I'm not about to heed his last request." He paused, smiling at the tension he knew he was creating.

"-_What do you want for his return?_-"

Starscream laughed even colder. "Nothing." He stepped closer to the mech until he stood a mere foot away from Prowl's fear stricken face. "Nothing at all Prime. I only want you to listen very closely to what you're about to hear." Starscream grinned, knowing he had the whole autobot base holding their collective breaths. He grinned even more as he looked at the other SIC. Prowl looked utterly shocked, wondering if he truly was cruel enough to let the others on the autobot base listen in while he was slowly killed by his hand.

He was.

But not tonight.

"Your SIC is in Xion's upper levels, between the crossing of the main highway and the old energon transport route." He looked in the distance before continuing. "And I suggest you hurry up. Breakaway is still very close on his trail." With that Starscream broke the connection before the autobots even had a chance to react.

Prowl's face was impressive a mix of confusion, relief and surprise. "Why?"

He honestly never heard so much wonder in a single word. "Why? Let's just say I am in a special mood tonight." He turned around, away from Prowl. "But I warn you autobot, this will never happen again. Next time I have you at my mercy it will be a one-way trip to Primus himself." Without another word he transformed and left the stunned Prowl behind in a cloud of dust.

If any decepticon ever found out, he would pay for it with his life.

As Starscream soared though the empty sky he could see the lights of the approaching autobots beneath him. He ignored them, heading for his own base.

It took less than a cycle before he arrived. The base was as empty as the alley he had occupied. In silence he headed for the med bay. Greeted by the usual hostility and exchanges of curses he sat down, leaving the medic to his repairs.

The day they found out who he really was would be his death.

But that was something he wouldn't mind dying for.


End file.
